Looking to move to Bali, needs lots of advice from you folk please!

ronb

Welcome to balipod Clayton. For visas, an agent is good value. I have used Bali IDE for retirement visas, but any agent that is recommended by others should be good. For long term rentals when you are homing in on your needs and have questions you will get help here. Good luck.

Clayton

Hi folks, nice to join the forum. My girlfriend and I are looking at moving to Bali early next year. I have a business here in the UK and our biggest suppliers are based in Indonesia and Bali, so we are ultimately looking into setting up a representative office for the business in Bali. We were thinking of getting a years multiple entry business visa first of all, I have to travel to some other countries like Malaysia, Singapore and Australia to look for other potential suppliers as well so that seems to fit with the visa type. Then after the first year we would look at setting up the representative office. We have been to Bali a few times now, really liking the look of Sanur, so any advice you folk can give us on various aspects of life in Bali such as what most do for visa requirements, long term rentals, if anyone has experience setting up a representative office that would be fantastic or just any tips on do's and don'ts. Look forward to chatting and being back in Bali soon!

masuk

ronb wroteWelcome to balipod Clayton. For visas, an agent is good value. I have used Bali IDE for retirement visas, but any agent that is recommended by others should be good. For long term rentals when you are homing in on your needs and have questions you will get help here. Good luck.

Jumping onto the same bandwagon, can I also ask if members can recommend a good handbook. I'm looking at retiring in Bali, and to start off I want to discover what the first costs will be - i.e. visa, multiple entry/reentry, and agent's fees. There seems to be no shortage of manuals, handbooks, but possibly members have something they can recommend as being OK. Thanks for any possible help. Terimah kasi.

davita

Re: post # 1 Hi Clayton It appears, from your post, that you and your girlfriend wish to 'stay' in Indonesia/Bali on a multi-entry business visa. This is a relatively easy visa to attain on your own from the UK RI Embassy using your UK business and your RI suppliers as sponsors. That is the purpose of the visa.....to allow foreign company representatives to come to RI and develop business. That's why it's limited to 60 days but is multi-entry for one year. It isn't intended as a 'stay' visa. I'm also not so sure you can get your girlfriend on the same visa unless she has a connection to your Company. If you wish to visit RI and stay awhile, there are other visas available like 60 day Tourist visa; Sosbud... initially 60 day extendible to 6 months; Retirement visa (min 55 years old). All this assumes you have no relatives in Indonesia....which would make everything easier. To come to RI, and open a representative business, will require more info than I'm aware of... so Ron's advice to see an agent is very apt in that respect. Also, Law and 'application' of Law, in RI, is a different concept to UK understanding...IOW an agent may be able to do things that Law says cannot be done...but, be aware of cost and legality. Btw Sanur is a great area to live...

davita

Re: post # 3 Hi Masuk Retirement Visa, for those over 55 years, is available but requires an agent to apply. My recommendation is to arrive in Indonesia on another visa and check around the agents that will do the work. Ronb's agent has a good reputation but you should shop around for price...be aware... some agencies aren't qualified. Initially you will be provided with an ITAS from a foreign (your choice) country to enter.... then get the agent to convert, within 14 days, to a Kitas. (lasts 1 year) and includes a MERP. I'm not sure about cost but estimate around ..US$700-800 for the year's visa. After 3 of these you can then apply for a Kitap which lasts 5 years...probably best to arrive and find other ways to stay long-term so don't commit until having this information.

Clayton

davita wroteRe: post # 1 Hi Clayton It appears, from your post, that you and your girlfriend wish to 'stay' in Indonesia/Bali on a multi-entry business visa. This is a relatively easy visa to attain on your own from the UK RI Embassy using your UK business and your RI suppliers as sponsors. That is the purpose of the visa.....to allow foreign company representatives to come to RI and develop business. That's why it's limited to 60 days but is multi-entry for one year. It isn't intended as a 'stay' visa. I'm also not so sure you can get your girlfriend on the same visa unless she has a connection to your Company. If you wish to visit RI and stay awhile, there are other visas available like 60 day Tourist visa; Sosbud... initially 60 day extendible to 6 months; Retirement visa (min 55 years old). All this assumes you have no relatives in Indonesia....which would make everything easier. To come to RI, and open a representative business, will require more info than I'm aware of... so Ron's advice to see an agent is very apt in that respect. Also, Law and 'application' of Law, in RI, is a different concept to UK understanding...IOW an agent may be able to do things that Law says cannot be done...but, be aware of cost and legality. Btw Sanur is a great area to live...

Clayton

Thanks Davita, with the plan being to visit other countries such as Malaysia, Singapore etc for business as well, the multiple entry business visa seems like the best option? With a tourist visa I think it would not let me conduct the business i need to in Bali. Other than employment sponsorship or retirement visas I am not aware of any other options, do you know of any other options?

davita

The only other suggestion is.... if you wish to form/buy a company (called PT/PMA) you will be able to get a Kitas as the director of the company but, you'll need money, lawyer and an agent. If you have a plan to exit/re-enter within the 60 days anyway... your business visa idea is a good one. You will need to get something for your partner however...or see if an agent can provide. I used to have something similar called a multi-entry sosbud but found leaving and returning within 60 days a pain in the ass. I often flew to KL in the morning and back in the afternoon...with a duty-free bottle.

mugwump

Additionally I should have mentioned that you may apply to the Indonesian Embassy in your own country, and provide the necessary information and documents along with payment to obtain a multiple entry business visa without requiring an agent. The requirements are pretty straight forward and simple to complete. Applying for a Kitas as others have suggested is best done by a qualified agent. You can probably search the archives on this forum to see what others have experienced with particular agencies and the pros and cons of same.

mugwump

Clayton wroteThanks Davita, with the plan being to visit other countries such as Malaysia, Singapore etc for business as well, the multiple entry business visa seems like the best option? With a tourist visa I think it would not let me conduct the business i need to in Bali. Other than employment sponsorship or retirement visas I am not aware of any other options, do you know of any other options?

A multiple entry business visa is specifically meant for those coming here to PURCHASE goods for export only! If anything else in the way of doing business here is involved you must have a Kitas which will include very detailed functions which you may perform here. Don't mean to alarm you, but the Government of RI keeps a watchful eye on Kitas holders in an effort to control activities that may (in their mind) otherwise be done by Indonesian Citizens. Good luck.

Clayton

Well the business visa is there for reasons other than just to purchase stock, but our intent is to increase the amount we buy from Indonesia anyway. It does seem a very simple process to get the business visa, we have had no problems applying in the past. After that a representative office provides a kitas, then we may use an agent. It does sound as if there are a lot of people doing workarounds with visas and agents in Bali, fortunately we will not need to do this ourselves.